Pages

Thursday, August 21, 2014

My newest hobby

Cross stitch is one of those things I thought I'd never get into. I remember doing one as a kid, it was this cutesy scene of Amish farmers with their cows I think. Weird thing for a 10 year old to stitch, but I was probably a really weird 10 year old. Anyway, I'd never given it another thought after my great Amish opus, even though I see lots of quilters on IG enjoying it. I didn't think I had the patience or attention span. (I thought the same thing about quilting.)

But then my friend Kara posted a picture of this Forest pattern she was working on, by Jody Rice of Satsuma Street. Love at first sight. I HAD to relearn cross stitch just to make this pattern immediately. (Really, cross stitch is amazing simple- not much to learn) And then a whole bunch of her other patterns. Honestly, if there was no Satsuma Street, I would feel no need to take up this craft. But I'm glad I did.

I promptly made up a zipper pouch for my stitching projects, shown above on the left. It's scraps from a 16 patch quilt top I made around Christmas time last year, and it has room for all my goodies inside.

I didn't get a picture of the finished Forest piece, but I did finish it (in March maybe?) and wrapped it around a canvas and sent it to a good friend.

I was still hooked on stitching Satsuma, so I immediately began this Voyage pattern. This one took even longer to finish, but I loved every stitch. The colors are just so genius! I love how I can stitch while watching evening TV with Nick or while on a picnic with the kids. I also love having an excuse to use these adorable stork scissors from The Fabric Studio here in Nashville.

It's all finished now, but I still haven't decided on what to do with it. I had considered sewing it into a tote, but I usually get tired of bags eventually, and I never want to get tired of looking at this. Plus bags get grungy. Yup, this one needs to hang on the wall, but I don't know if I would rather wrap it on canvas or frame it.

My most recent finish was this phone case. I used some of my favorite colors I already had from other projects and just kinda made up this hexagon design. I found the stitchable case at a craft fair in my Cincinnati neighborhood from a booth set up by the Hoop and Needle. I don't know if you can order it from their online shop, but you can find lots of fun pdf cross stitch patterns with profanity and Big Lebowski quotes and the lyrics to Dayman. (Have to make that one!!) They've also opened up a brick and mortar shop on Main St. in OTR. Definitely go support them if you are local. Can't wait to visit next time I'm in Cincinnati.

Currently I'm working on Arcadia on this happy polar ice blue Aida. This isn't even a quarter of the pattern done, but now that I've joined the ranks of moms in the car pick-up lane, I get some stitching in every afternoon. I think I love her patterns because of how she groups the colors in those large chunks. It speaks to my style much more than Kawaii or those cross stitches that are so detailed they look like paintings. It feels really modern, like a quilt in pretty solids.

And: you can't really tell in the picture, but this one has some metallic threads in it. Oooooh, fancy!

I have several Satsuma patterns and still have yet to tackle them. Ugh. I really need to do that. They're so lovely and I know exactly what I want to do with them. I just have to stop putting it at the bottom of the list. :) Your projects are turning out so lovely!

ohhhhhh man i love the cross stitch you made me! it's so awesome. and it's still sitting on my mantle where i can admire it many times a day, not up in the boys' room where you intended. oh well. deal with it. ;P

I know just what you mean- now that there are nice, moderny- vintage type of cross stitch patterns out there- I am really hooked. A few good sources where you can find things besides Thomas Kinkade or depictions of kitten include: Cross Stitcher magazine from the UK - usually available at Joann's and ebay, superbuzzy.com, and etsy. My sister did the Satsuma pirate ship for me and I am ashamed to say it's rolled up with all my other cross stitch pieces. I wish custom framing weren't so expensive- I intend to learn how to frame them myself.

They are so cool. My only cross stitch experience is doing Star Wars pixel people, but it took forevah with a baby all up in my business. These patterns are awesome though. The colors work great together

I LOVE these. The last one reminds me of It's a Small World, and I've always loved that aesthetic. I will have to go look for her patterns. P.S. not very local-friendly, but I got my iPad cover (that remains unstitched) via Amazon, so they are available if someone can't find one locally.

Jenny, you wouldn't happen to have the Amazon Seller's name or the brand of the cover you bought would you? My Amazon searches are turning up nothing but iphone covers and I am dying to find a stitchable ipad cover! I can't find them in stores either so I am bumming out :( Thanks!!

I came to this blog to see the swaddling blanket and when I saw this post on cross stitch, I had to comment. I lllloooovvvveee cross stitch. Years ago, I took up that hobby and felt wonderful using that needle and thread goinginto that canvas and linen was the ujltimate. My favorite patterns were flowers with porches, rocking chairs and cannot remember the designer of those patterns right now. Oh, Paula Vaughn - loveed her patterns and do not know if she is still designing. I am now doing mixed media, stamping, machine embroidering and photography. Thanks for the memory of those good old days of cross stitch.

I feel the same, I took up cross stitch this year but have struggled to find patterns that I want to make. Satsuma Street was an oasis of great design in an ocean of geese in bonnets. I've since discovered Frosted Pumpkin as well whose aesthetic, although different to SS, is fun. I have completed Satsuma's Pretty Little London (I'm a novice stitcher - and it was hard work, but very rewarding) and I can't wait to make Arcadia, Forest and everything else Jody has created.

I love all of Jody's designs! I'm just about done with Paris and have also finished both the 'good things come to those who hustle' pattern and the 2 biscornu patterns she has :) Her patterns are so much fun to stitch! Red Gate Stitchery and Stitchrovia (both on Etsy) also have some really fun patterns as well. Happy Stitching everyone!

Omg I used to cross stitch soooo much! I had JUST discovered you didn't have to do cute stuff but could do whatever took your fance, when I fell out of love with the whole thing. I may just have fallen back, your stuff is amazing!